A bar code is an optical machine-readable representation of information. Originally, bar codes represented information by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines. These types of bar codes may be referred to as linear or one-dimensional (1D) bar codes. Later, bar codes evolved into rectangles, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns in two dimensions (2D). Although 2D systems use a variety of symbols, they are generally referred to as bar codes as well.
Devices for identifying or extracting information from bar codes are generally referred to as bar code scanners. An image-based bar code scanner includes a camera for capturing an image of a bar code to be scanned. A decoder then processes the image and extracts the information contained in the bar code.
In the last several decades, the use of portable computing devices has become common. In particular, advances in electronic technology have reduced the cost of increasingly complex and useful portable computing devices. Cost reduction and consumer demand have proliferated the use of portable computing devices such that they are practically ubiquitous in modern society. Examples of portable computing devices include smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, portable media players, digital cameras, camcorders, GPS navigation devices, etc.
As the use of portable computing devices has expanded, so has the demand for new and improved features of portable computing devices. More specifically, portable computing devices that perform new functions and/or that perform functions faster, more efficiently or with higher quality are often sought after.
Many portable computing devices include a camera. Therefore, with appropriate software and/or firmware, such portable computing devices can function as bar code scanners.